ZOO'S DENIZENS TO DINE DANDILY.

Byline: Alicia Doyle Daily News Staff Writer

Stomach full? Too much turkey and pie? Try gulping down a few pumpkins and gnawing at giant bones in one sitting.

Stomachs are growling for this sample platter at America's Teaching Zoo at Moorpark College, where the menagerie awaits a holiday feast fit for a king - of the jungle, that is.

Lions, monkeys and a 12-foot-long python are among the connoisseurs that will celebrate Thanksgiving on the wild side this weekend, when they are hand-fed special holiday treats.

``These animals love food. They love large quantities of food - that's what they'll be getting,'' said Mara Rodriguez, community education and entertainment coordinator for the Exotic Animal Training and Management program at Moorpark College. ``Expect a lot of action.''

The guest of honor at this Feast for the Beasts will be Kisu, a mountain lion who recently celebrated its second birthday. Gobie - a baby Bactrian camel weighing in at 800 pounds - also will partake.

Presentations will be given throughout the weekend, featuring 15- to 20-minute shows to educate the public about the animals' origins, habitats and natural behavior.

The zoo's animal collection includes water buffaloes, wolves, sea lions, bobcats and golden eagles.

Handling these exotic creatures during shows and feeding is a requirement of students enrolled in EATM, which was established as a major at Moorpark College in 1974.

The program - the only one of its kind nationwide - is an intensive course that teaches students all facets of animal care and training.

Classes range from animal behavior and nutrition elementary veterinary procedures and zoo horticulture.

Students are assigned specific animals to care for during the course of the year and perform internships at the Los Angeles and Santa Barbara zoos.

EATM not only teaches students animal-training and modern zoo-keeping techniques - including nutrition, restraint and veterinary procedures - it shows how to present educational shows utilizing animals, Rodriguez said.

In addition to the zoo's live shows throughout the year, this weekend's Thanksgiving feast is the first theme of events the zoo will host monthly.

``We wanted to find new things to do on the weekends that would keep the public coming back,'' Rodriguez said.

What can a first-timer expect?

``An up-close and personal look at these animals,'' she said. ``And an entertaining and educational show.''

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3 Photos

Photo: (1--ran in SIMI and CONEJO only--color) Moorpark College student Lacey Rodine greets a camel named Mariah, who is about to be fed a delicate repast of hay and alfalfa.

(2--ran in SIMI and CONEJO only--color) Raccoons at Moorpark College's teaching zoo munch morsels of food at feeding time.

(3--ran in SIMI, SAC and CONEJO--color in SAC) Moorpark College students prepare meals for the zoo's charges.

Evan Yee/Daily News